Jackal's Masks
by Kagetsuki-taicho
Summary: Compilation of prompts, AUs, 'what-ifs', one-shots, missing scenes, etc with casts from Konoha's Silent Death. Genre and ratings vary with each chapter. Might need to read KSD if you want to have a clear idea of who's who.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto.

(Prompt by **myriad-souls** : What if…he's not the only one from HP verse reincarnated here? A stranger looking so much like Konoha's Silent Death but with no obvious village affiliation and is gaining notoriety in his own right. The stranger calls him brother because they 'share the same blood', they should show others how a 'real fight' should be, there will always be a need for them to clash because 'one cannot live while the other survives'.)

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 **Past Demons**

… … … … … … … … … … …

"Team, retreat! Eguchi, get Kurogane out of there and regroup with Omoida!"

The chuunin hesitated.

"NOW, ROOKIE!"

Hari snarled under his breath, thoroughly irritated. The Hokage's intuition about this mission going astray was right, which was the main reason he was handed leadership over this newly-minted chuunin team. _Why_ his esteemed village leader thought these rookies were skilled and experienced enough to handle a retrieval mission, he had no idea. Okay, granted it was labelled B-rank, and changing teams would deter whoever was planning to ambush them. But this team…they were not field shinobi. As members of the either the Intelligence or Reserve division, they were required to build on their insufficient mission experience in order to justify their chuunin ranks. This meant when worst came to worst, it would fall to him to get them out of there in one piece. It wasn't as though he would ever think of leaving them behind in the first place, anyway. If there was something Team Wolf believed whole-heartedly in, it was to leave no comrades behind.

The ambush occurred just a scant few meters away from their destination. About a dozen nuke-nin – slashed hitai-ate adorning places that were not their foreheads – in mismatched armour and black snake masks sprang out of the earth, charging at the Konoha four-man team with a battle cry. Hari's subordinates stood back to back, defending themselves from incoming attacks but making no offensive moves. He threw his hands forward, twin lightning dragons surging forth and hungrily devouring the six enemies before him. Ducking a thrown kunai, he brought his own blade slicing down. It screeched against the flat of an axe. Hari thrusted forward, impaling the man. Blood spurted out from behind the full-faced mask, and Hari ripped it off the dying nin's face. Kicking the corpse off his sword, he whirled around, tucking the strange mask into one of the many storage seals littering his outfit. There was a pained yell as the three new chuunin tackled the remaining opponent in their immediate vicinity, driving kunais into the nuke-nin's throat. A flash of blue drew their attention as the last ambusher fled.

"Kurogane, leave him! It's a trap!"

Hari was about to shunshin to the stupid chuunin's side when the wire trap left by the fleeing nin activated. With a startled shout, Kurogane fell, left leg torn to shreds from the knee down.

"Gouken!" Eguchi yelled as his friend tried to stand.

The next wave came straight at them, nuke-nins also, but better equipped and relatively more skilled. Just one glance and Hari knew letting his team face them would be asking for their deaths. Removing the head of the enemy currently dazed by the impact of Omoida's mace, the young jounin team leader casted a mass genjutsu and called for retreat.

"Eguchi, get Kurogane out of there and regroup with Omoida!"

Even before he finished speaking, Omoida skidded pass him on his back, smashing into a tree with a groan. Eguchi stared, wide-eyed, at the bruised and stunned form of the team's supposed 'heavy-hitter', Hari's orders not registering in his half-shocked state. A water bullet headed straight for the immobile man's back, forcing Hari to intercept it with his wakizashi. Turning furiously on Eguchi, he roared.

"NOW, ROOKIE!" The chuunin flinched, visibly collected himself and saw to fulfilling his squad leader's orders. "Haul your asses back to Konoha. As far as you three are concerned, your mission is completed."

"But, Sir – "

"I'll be fine. Now go, preferably before Kurogane bleeds to death." The chuunin made to protest again and Hari scowled, eyes still trained on the enemies creeping closer. "I wouldn't be far behind, newbie. Once the trash is cleared I'll catch up with you. _Go_."

Hari rolled his shoulders and planting his feet, erecting solid stone walls to ensure none of the attackers would be able to pursue the newbies without going through him first. With the others gone, he could afford to let loose without needing to worry about friendly-fire. Conjuring his left wakizashi, he smirked.

"Come. I don't have all day."

Identical masked faces regarded him as the group spread out, aiming to surround and swarm him under.

"I would tell you to hand that scroll over if you were anyone else. But asking Konoha's Silent Death to do that is pointless." The supposed leader of the band drew his katana. "Nazo-sama wants you alive for some reason, so while I cannot kill you, it would be a pleasure to beat you down."

The smirk widened a fraction.

"Too late."

In front of their startled eyes, he dissolved into a flurry of shadows. Then one by one, they started dropping, the thin red line across their throats the only evidence of the way they died. A huge surge of chakra flooded the area as the remaining shinobi shouted "Kai" in unison. Their surroundings did not so much as waver. Cold sweat breaking out upon his brow, the leader went through handseals faster than he ever did in his entire life. But Hari had no mercy. His wakizashi bit into its target, missing the heart as a stream of red light knocked it off course. The genjutsu shattered in the next second and a figure strolled out of the congealing mist. Hari withdrew his blade, leaving the leader coughing and gasping at his feet.

"My, my, how much you have changed since the last I saw you. When I first saw your pictures, I could hardly believe my eyes. And then tales of your exploits started trickling in. But, no matter…" Dark red eyes glanced at the wounded man on the ground. "I'm terribly sorry to cut our first meeting so short, however, Kouga-kun is a fairly valuable asset. One that I am not willing to lose so early."

"Na – Nazo-sama, forgive me…I've fa – "

Without breaking his gaze with the revealed boss of a fast becoming notorious criminal organisation, Hari severed Kouga's spine. Nazo visibly bristled but calmed quickly, settling into a pleasantly surprised expression.

"You _really_ have changed…for the better, if I may say so. This certainly makes things all the more entertaining."

A handful of shuriken rebounded off a shimmering golden shield.

"Now, now. Not so hasty, _Kurayami Hari_. I look forward to meeting you again, brother mine."

A loud crack and Nazo was gone, leaving a mildly confused and irritated Master of Death standing alone in the corpse-ridden field.

That was the first time Hari's past demons – _demon_ , more specifically someone who should be _long dead, gone from the universe for good_ (Why here? Why now? **Why?** ) – caught up with him.

… …

… …

"Thank you for successfully retrieving the scroll, Hari-kun. The consequence if this was taken would have been dire."

"No need for thanks, Hokage-sama. It was my mission."

The Sandaime rubbed his face wearily.

"I believe you got rid of all evidence before returning?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. By the time my team arrived, this… _Mamushi_ …organisation had already taken over the outpost and killed everyone inside. The scroll was left in its secret compartment and thus avoided landing in the hands of their leader. I burned everything within a fifty meter radius to ashes once the package was secured."

"Nazo." Calloused fingers lifted the unusual snake face-mask as the owner inspected it thoroughly. "This name recently caught Jiraiya's attention. According to the residents of Rice's underworld, he has never received shinobi training, yet he manages to maintain control over varying groups of nuke-nin. You say he wields a strange Kekkei Genkai?"

"One that allows him to teleport with a loud crack and shoot coloured light wordlessly, also with no need for seals. From the short encounter I had with him, green, red and orange lights are much more deadly and destructive than blue and yellow. However, one weakness of his bloodline limit is the toll on the user's chakra. He had a fairly large reserve, but it depleted to a quarter after about ten shots. On top of that, he didn't appear to have any knowledge of the basic shinobi taijutsu and ninjutsu. But he shattered my genjutsu quite easily."

"Interesting…very interesting indeed. Now, here's what I'll have you do. Continue with as per normal…seeing as I don't have any missions suitable for you at the moment, ANBU or jounin-level…until I receive further information from my spymaster. When I do, I'll send Team Wolf on an S-rank retrieval or elimination, depending on the situation. From what I've been hearing about Nazo, he's nothing good, affiliation with a village or not. Nonetheless, apprehending him might yield some useful information."

"Understood. Would I be permitted to notify my team about this?"

"I expect nothing less. While you are at it, tell them everything you know about the Mamushi organisation and Nazo. I like my top ANBU team the way they are now."

"As you command, Hokage-sama. One last thing, the new chuunin team I was assigned to…"

A small smile formed under the red, three-point hat.

"They made it back safe and sound…physically, anyway. The worst was Kurogane's shredded leg. The medics did a good job fixing it. He will be able to resume his shinobi duties after his injury mends completely. However, I don't think they will be seeing out-of-village missions anytime in the future."

Hari frowned.

"No offence, Hokage-sama, but I don't think they have what it takes to be a chuunin. Their skills may be at least low-chuunin level but their real mission experience is almost non-existent. While I understand that being a member of the Intelligence or Reserve division means taking more in-village missions, they should have at least trained to be able to respond appropriately in dire situations."

The smile turned into a full-blown grin, devious and smug.

"Well then, if you are so concerned about their wellbeing, I guess there's something to occupy your time with. Here's a B-rank mission from the Hokage himself. Starting with the Reserve division, train any shinobi you deem incompetent or undeserving of their rank. We can't have sloths in our ranks now, can we?"

… …

… …

Tom Marvolo Riddle – Nazo, now – reclined in his transfigured throne, right arm propping his head up as he thought. It was already late into the night but he could not sleep. Not after seeing his eternal enemy so _close_ – _so real_ – for the first time since he saw the boy's face in the Bingo Books two years ago.

A wry smile twisted his lips. So many similarities once again existed between the two of them and their old lives. His looks did not change the slightest and so distinct was his features from both his birth parents in this world that they were disgusted. Being avid priests, they saw him as a warning from heaven and dumped him in an orphanage in the Land of Rice before he was even a year old. Nazo. They whispered his name once and left, never to look back again. But he did not mind. Not with his old memories still seared in his brain. He would survive, parents or no. After all, he had learnt from a young age in Wools orphanage that the only person you can rely on is yourself.

So he lived and learned. In this strange foreign world, he thrived. Cutthroats, murderers and street-rats became his usual acquaintances. His magic still worked – it was taxing, but he was not totally vulnerable – and he found a teacher for ninjutsu and genjutsu, the latter he excelled in dispelling rather than creating. War broke out, and in that chaotic period he planted the seeds of his organisation, entrenched the roots deep into the underworld and branched out. The Land of Rice became his underworld empire. Each and every nuke-nin he admitted into his service was given a blood-rune engraved mask. It might not be the Earth he knew, but his possessiveness and need to dominate people – his servants – did not lessen. These nuke-nin became his Death Eaters, albeit more deadly and unrestricted by social or political values. Slowly, he began to gain notoriety, for his expanding influence over the entity of Rice and its weak Daimyo, his ruthlessness towards all who cross him, and most importantly, his ability to kill with a touch. (That particular trait has not been fully confirmed, and since he was technically a civilian, he was not listed in the Books.)

And one cannot possibly forget the assassination attempts. Such variety and creativity. Nothing like the boring old poison in your food or spell to the back.

Once again he clawed his way to power but this time, no one will stand in his way for long. No prophecy will spell his downfall. This time, he will succeed in world domination – once he has found the right ingredients to make a single horcrux – he _has_ learnt from his past mistake and a ruler of such a dangerous world _must_ be sane, rational and collected at all times.

That tranquil approach to life was disrupted the moment Kouga stumbled hastily through the very double doors he was currently staring at, all five Bingo books from the major villages clutched in his arms. The five identical photographs of a blood-splattered, fiercely glaring face set off a fire in his being. For the first time since he was reborn his soul felt more alive than ever. Everything was falling perfectly into place. A rising empire, a growing army, a world just _waiting_ to be seized, and now…a worthy rival to constantly battle against. One that will never give up or back down. One that apparently grew to be quite the skilled killer. Harry Potter looked exactly like his old self, minus the scar and hideous glasses. Now, he was a twelve year old ANBU with a kill count higher than some of his veterans. A low chuckle shook his frame.

 _Next time, Harry. Next time we meet, I promise you we_ will _clash, my brother. Now that you have no more pesky morals to hold you back._

"Can't sleep, Nazo-kun?"

He inwardly twitched at the low, hissing drawl as the intruder rudely permitted himself entry.

"Ran out of experiments, _Orochi-chan_?"

He maintained his emotionless front, well aware that the shinobi before him would pick the slightest movement, the slightest show of weakness and turn it on him. So much like the snakes he summoned. But it wouldn't work on _him_. Riddle was a true Slytherin. His body may be young, but he had more than half a century's worth of experience in dealing with people like Orochimaru. One Serverus Snape came to mind. However, it irritated him to no end that the slippery Sanin could waltz into his main base at any time, his men being too cowardly to stop him. None of those who were brave enough to try kept their lives after one attempt. And the snake-summoner knew that Nazo could do nothing. Not with all the blackmail Orochimaru has – not enough to dominate, but enough to be persuaded to form a _partnership_ , for lack of a better term. There was nothing Nazo loathed more than not having absolute control over a powerful individual.

 _Soon,_ he took a steady breath to calm his raging emotions. _Soon, this_ pest _will be gone. Once he brings me what I need, I will get rid of him._

"As a matter of fact, yes. Which is why I decided to grace you with my presence this fine night."

"Spare me the theatrics. You mean to purchase more _materials_."

Orochimaru merely smirked. Nazo rose a condescending eyebrow.

"You know, I would dearly love to have you on my experimenting table, Nazo-kun. You and Kurayami. The both of you are utterly…fascinating." A scroll was spat out from a snake which appeared and dismissed itself almost immediately. The Sanin tossed it over. "Here's all the information I could find from the miniscule amount of DNA I managed to collect from you and Kurayami. It seems that you two share the same abnormalities in your blood. However, Kurayami's only hold a small trace, allowing him to perform every ninjutsu possible wordlessly and sealessly without hindrance. On the other hand, half your chakra contains that mutation, which makes it more taxing to utilise your Kekkei Genkai as the non-mutated chakra instinctively tries to overpower and prevent it from being expelled."

"Does this mean my brother cannot utilise his bloodline limit the way I do?"

"So far, I have not witnessed or received word of any proof of him using the same techniques you wield. Besides ninjutsu, the only other unique trait he has is forging weapons from nothing."

"How very intriguing…there's nothing more you managed to discover?"

Orochimaru tapped his bloody fingers on the ground and the scroll-storing snake appeared once more, curling lazily around its summoner. It was pure white and reminded Nazo sorely of Nagini.

"So greedy…It's up for negotiation, Nazo-kun. _As always_."

A smirk for a smirk. Two geniuses in their own right trying to outmanoeuvre the other. The former Dark Lord slowly inclined his head.

"Not today, I'm afraid, Orochimaru."

The runes he so meticulously laid out for the last few days flared to life beneath the Snake-summoner's feet with the slightest nudge from his magic. For all his alleged speed and power Orochimaru was well and truly trapped within the swirling red runes littering the tiles. Standing gracefully from his throne, Nazo watched with ill-concealed amusement and triumph as he began to circle the twitching Sanin and his summon. Yellow eyes promised hellfire and brimstone, the paralysing binds of the magic cage the only thing keeping Orochimaru from doing so. He chuckled lowly.

"Unfortunately for you, negotiation is out of the question. In fact if things go according to plan – and I have a pretty lucky streak so far – you would never be negotiating again." He beamed at his captive. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Another wave of his hand and thin violet threads bound Orochimaru from neck to toes. The snake received the same treatment, but was removed from the main circle. Only one victim was needed, and he did not know if summon souls were acceptable. Gliding up to the edges of the rune circle, he lifted a hand and murmured a single word.

 _"Crucio."_

His captive gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out. Nazo smirked and increased the intensity bit by bit, hungrily taking in every pained gasp and twitch. He was going to milk every drop of agony and despair from the Snake-summoner in return for all the trouble and frustrations his mere existence has caused. Of course, it will also be compensation for the soul-searing pain Nazo will experience later as he create the horcrux.

The bonds vanished and Orochimaru collapsed to his knees on the stone floor. But shinobi – especially veterans – had high pain tolerance and soon the pale man was back on his feet, occasional muscle spasms the only indicator of the recent torture. A thin trail of blood dribbled down the sharp chin and a long tongue swiped it up.

"It is something else, isn't it, Orochi-chan? All that jutsu in your arsenal…I bet you have never came across something remotely like this…"

Nazo did not give Orochimaru time to respond, instead slamming another high-intensity Crucio into him. The shinobi screamed, and Nazo had to admire the way Orochimaru steadfastly kept a sane enough mind to channel chakra to his limbs without mishap. Through the random spasms and mentally-constructed pain, the Sanin began working through handseals.

"Oh no, you don't…"

Curling his lips, Nazo pushed more magic into the runes, acutely feeling the drain it had on his reserves. He supposed he could have stopped Orochimaru anytime, but he was curious as to how strong this cage was. If it is able to contain a shinobi of the Snake-summoner's calibre, then he would not need to waste energy conjuring binds every time he put it to use.

The stone floor rolled and shuddered beneath his feet, struggling to shape and move to the command of Orochimaru's jutsu. Nazo leaped back as a fracture formed between him and the cage. It widened and Orochimaru smirked. However, the triumph was short-lived. As soon as the edge of the widening chasm brushed against the still untouched rune circle, it stopped, negated by the magic.

"Ah…how disappointed you must feel. So close but yet so far. However, I must thank you for that. Now I know my lovely prison is quite effective against shinobi. Well then, I've wasted enough time playing around."

The violet bounds returned, this time wrapping around Orochimaru's wrists and ankles, tying him spread-eagle to the stone floor. Nazo stalked forward with a hand outstretched, rage and hatred for the Snake-summoner gradually building within him.

"Rest assured that your soul will serve a greater purpose separated from your mortal body. It is the immortality you've been searching for, just more… _restricting_. Goodbye, Orochimaru, and good riddance."

The cage flashed green. Orochimaru jerked once.

And he threw his head back and screamed through gritted teeth. A burning fire started from the very centre of his heart and spread out like molten liquid. Thousands of invisible teeth tore into his body. Sweat rolled down his brow and stung his eyes but he could not close them even if he wanted to. His muscles were taunt and strained as he rode out the soul-searing pain. A bolt of green light arced from the cage and struck him. Instantly, his mouth was wrenched open in a silent scream. The entire ritual ended as abruptly as it began.

As soon as the light surrounding Nazo faded, his fell to his knees, muscles too weak and shaky to move as he panted harshly. A full minute passed and he conjured a staff, pushing himself to his feet by sheer willpower alone. Taking one deep breath he lifted his head wearily to witness the fruit of his labour.

Gently swirling to an unseen breeze, a small globe of opaque white mist hung suspended at eye level within the deactivated rune cage. A soft laugh escaped his lips.

"Now, a suitable container would be…"

His dark red eyes flashed as it locked onto the now awake and hissing scroll-storing snake.

 ** _"Ahh…yes…how could I forget you, little snake…"_**

The white head whipped around and yellow eyes widened.

 ** _"You…you speak!"_** The snake slithered forward once the binds loosened, leaning out as much as its confines allowed. A flick of Nazo's wrist and the runes deactivated. The white head bowed in thanks. **_"I have only met one young speaker…hmm…you do look an awful lot like him…"_**

 ** _"It is to be expected. We are, after all, brothers in blood."_**

 ** _"Hmm, yes, I can certainly see that. Both powerful in your own right."_** The snake flicked its tail at Orochimaru's corpse. **_"You killed our former master. Do you realise what you are bound to do now?"_**

 ** _"_** **Bound?** ** _Are you threatening_** **me** ** _, little snake?"_**

 ** _"No, forgive my choice of words, but I see you do not know the ways of contracting the Snake Summons. Allow me to explain."_** At his nod, the snake continued. **_"One way to be contacted to us is to find the scroll and sign your name in blood. For every different one of us you summon, you are to subdue in order to gain absolute obedience. Another way is to personally end the life of the pervious master, which you have done. But there is one consequence, for as long as you live, you are bound to having us as your summons. You cannot contract another unless you pass the contract fully onto another. To achieve that, one has to – "_**

 ** _"Enough. Hand me your contract scroll. I'll sign it at once. Your name, little snake?"_**

 ** _"Zurui."_**

The blood signature glowed as it was permanently inked onto the scroll.

 ** _"Now then, what is your first command, Nazo-sama?"_**

 ** _"This."_**

Without another word, Nazo grabbed the white globe and pushed it into Zurui's head, hands pinning him down by the neck as the snake began to thrash. Black tear-like tracks appeared, running down from the corner of Zurui's eyes. As his movements ceased, the yellow irises bled to a dark red. Nazo smirked. Definitely a worthy container for the separated piece of his soul. Summons were tied to their summoner and had long lifespans. In addition, they were hard to kill and were safe when they returned to their home – wherever it was. Yes, it was a very good decision on his part.

There was a sudden pressure in the room and a large cloud of smoke appeared. Nazo leapt to his feet, magic ready to lash out at a twitch of the finger. The cloud cleared to reveal massive a purple-black striped serpent. It had to be seventeen meters at least. The huge jaws opened in a snarl, poison-dripping fangs glinting in the firelight.

"Who dares violate _my_ subordinate?!"

 ** _"Manda-sama!"_**

"Sama? So _you_ are the Boss Summon?"

"A new summoner, I see."

"Indeed. You'll find my signature etched on the scroll."

 ** _"Hmm…what has that stupid mortal done to you, Zurui?"_**

 ** _"For future reference, make sure the person you are insulting do not understand the language,_** **Manda** ** _. As for what I did…it's nothing harmful towards Zurui. He is now merely housing a fragment of my soul. Think of it as a harmless piece of artefact that needs safekeeping, with him as the metaphoric safe."_**

 ** _"How's that possible, speaker?"_**

Nazo smirked and waved his hand to conceal the deactivated runes from sight.

 ** _"If you are willing to stick around, you will find that I can do many impossible things."_**

 ** _"Hn. I suppose I can work with you, Nazo-sama. So long as you continue the sacrifices Orochimaru offered."_**

 ** _"Perfect."_**

… …

… …

"…any idea why he insists on calling you his brother?"

"Besides the fact that we have similar Kekkei Genkai? None."

"Still, this Nazo guy sounds like a real creep. I mean, it's not like similar blood alone permits someone to claim someone else as a blood relative. That's just plain weird."

Hari made no comment, tossing a senbon in his right hand as he leaned back into his seat. Team Wolf was currently occupying the table in the darkest corner of Tekketsu Yado, one of the more popular inns located near the border of Iron and Rice that catered to shinobi passing through the area. They were dressed as regular Konoha forces, leaving their ANBU gear sealed into their tattoos.

"This guy may be a creep but he's definitely a clever one. This silent overtaking of Rice? If Jiraiya-sama's network was any less competent, it would have taken another year or so before Mamushi registered as a threat in our radar."

"Well then, it's lucky my spies _are_ competent, is it not, Shinai?"

Sakumo greeted his friend with a nod as Jiraiya deposited himself in the only vacant chair.

"Ah…my feet are killing me…did you have to choose a place so far away, Sakumo?"

"Quit whining, you pervert. If you hadn't been so absorbed in _spying_ , you wouldn't need to run double-time all the way here. Now, give me everything you've managed to acquire. We would like to get this over as soon as possible."

The spy-master heaved a long-suffering sigh.

"Fine, you slave driver. It seems Nazo is trying to build a Hidden Village either within Rice or by taking over Yugakure in Hot Springs. Either way, it is vital to cut him off immediately. There are enough clans with relatively powerful bloodline limits located in these two neighbouring Lands to pose as a threat should they form a Village. We cannot afford another potential enemy, especially with some power-hungry guy holding the reins. Sensei has ordered an elimination."

"Do you know approximately when and where his initial movement will take place?" Hari questioned, only to tilt his head curiously at the uncertain frown on the Toad-Sage's face. "Problem, Jiraiya-sama?"

"Sort of. I cannot give you an exact date but I do have the location of Nazo's main base in Rice. Orochimaru himself gave it to me via summons."

Sakumo blinked, slightly taken back. For Orochimaru to do that was…odd. The pale man never gave his teammate free information without asking for a favour or something in return. Jiraiya caught his friend's expression and shrugged.

"That's what I thought too. I received it about three days ago together with a note to say he will catch up with me yesterday before I head back to Konoha. He's late in handing in a report to Sensei, which has never happen before. If something happened – "

"He might be scouting the place out. You know Orochimaru and his insatiable curiosity."

The spymaster snorted in amusement.

"Sensei has always warned him it'll get him in trouble someday."

"Well, whatever. I wouldn't be too worried. He is slippery enough to get himself out of any tangle. Besides, I think we'll head over immediately. There's no need to drag this out any longer than necessary. So, location, Jiraiya."

… …

… …

It was one big screw-up.

Okay, maybe that was an over exaggeration, but that was how the current situation felt like.

A set-up, a massive number of opponents, the smirking man that regarded the silent ANBU team mockingly, and the dead Sanin lying in No-Man's-Land. One _cannot_ possibly ignore _that._

"For a legendary figure, he did not put up much of a fight," Nazo's drawling voice carried quite clearly across the flat plain in the unusually still night.

"Konoha can take this as a declaration of war, Nazo-san. Are you prepared for retaliation?" Wolf's flat tone betrayed none of the coiled tension building within him.

"War? No, I don't think your honourable Hokage will declare _war_ on a person who took down a despicable person like him. If anything, he should thank me for taking out a criminal."

"…Despicable…?"

Nazo laughed gleefully at Hyena's startled question.

"Oh, isn't this just precious? You lot have no idea, do you? Normally, I would leave you guessing but I'm feeling unexpectedly generous tonight. Here, take a look at this…and feel free to remove his body from my sight. It's beginning to make me nauseous."

Jackal darted forward before anyone else could move, crossing midway into the stretch of land separating the two parties. He snatched the tossed scroll up before it hit the ground, silently disarming the spells coating it.

"Hmm…very good, I didn't expect you to be able to do that, Hari-kun. Or should I address you as Jackal?"

Jackal didn't answer, instead pulling out a body-sealing scroll and crouched by the corpse's side. His fingers brushed the stone cold flesh and everything froze. Emerald eyes blazed dangerously behind the bone-white mask and he hissed in barely-restrained outrage.

"You used his souls to create one?!"

"Yes, I did. Imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to find that the ritual still worked. But don't you worry about any others cropping up. This one is _more_ than enough."

Still glaring at his reborn nemesis, Jackal sealed the deceased Orochimaru away and returned to his captain's side. Wolf tucked both scrolls away and fingered the hilt of his tanto. Instantly, the entire team shifted into position in response.

 ** _(Jackal, take Nazo. We'll handle the rest.)_**

Jackal's eyes narrowed as he bunched his muscles and shot forward.

"Yes, come _Harry_. Let's relive our final showdown once more. Let's show them what a _real_ fight should be like, _brother_."

Roots shot out of the ground and wrapped around Nazo only to crumble to ash as a cloak of flames ignited around him. A stream of red light impacted on the ground Jackal was standing on half a second ago, throwing earth, stone and dust into the air. The young ANBU landed in a half-crouch, skidding a few paces back from the edge of the newly-formed crater. The rest of team Wolf and Mamushi had not even started engaging each other and already, confrontation between the two groups ended before it began. They could only stay back and watch the duel, shifting cautiously away lest they get caught up in the crossfire.

"You are no brother of mine."

The low snarl was accompanied by a shower of ice spikes which were negated by a wall of blue fire.

"That's where you are wrong. We share the same blood still. Our Parseltongue, our magic…granted, you don't seem like you can cast any spells, but your ability to pull off attacks of all elements is influenced by your blood. I, on the other hand, require more concentration to use ninjutsu, which is why I prefer sticking to spells...and _this._ "

The Boss Snake Summon struck at Jackal with terrifying speed. Ducking under Manda's jaw as it snapped shut around empty air, Jackal's sword ripped through the smaller scales located near its spine. The enormous snake hissed and withdrew, spitting acidic poison at the ANBU as it retreated. A stream of water whipped out, absorbing the poison and hitting Manda in his right eye. Although diluted to some degree, the acidified venom-water mix was still strong enough to eat through the brille. The purple-black striped tail walloped Jackal in his torso as the snake thrashed in agony. Jackal gritted his teeth, regained his balance and in a flash of steel, said tail was severed. Sustaining too many injuries for his comfort, Manda reverse-summoned himself, leaving in a cloud of smoke. But the Boss snake served his purpose.

There was a soft crack behind him and Jackal felt his muscles froze. Cursing inwardly he flooded his coils to dispel the immobilisation. Twisting around as soon as he could move again, a blast of wind sent Nazo staggering back. Jackal was on him a second later. While the older man was not well-versed in close combat, he could dodge with the best of them, his fast reflexes allowing him to conjure arrows and small blades to deflect strikes he had no hope of avoiding. Jackal snorted under his breath. Even in this life, Voldemort still believed it was beneath him to learn hand-to-hand combat. The hard look returned to his eyes once more. That arrogance will be his undoing.

Intercepting the next lot of arrows with his own shurikens, Jackal morphed his wakizashi into kunai, throwing them in an arc. As expected, the golden shield flared as it blocked the projectiles. A hand slammed into the ground and _pulled_. Despite the grim situation, Jackal grinned toothily at the startled grunt and flaying hands as Nazo was pulled into the ground, leaving only his head above the surface. Dark red eyes flashed bright red and the ground rumbled. Runes flared to life around the two and Jackal shunshin away hastily as the ground exploded for the second time.

Thick mist covered the area before the ANBU before the dust settled. Jackal raised his hand and a bolt of lightning struck the centre of the congealing mist with a muffled boom. The entire sky lit up like a beacon for a second as everyone else flinched and averted their eyes. Jackal straightened, slowly lowering his arm when the lightning infused mist stirred and his creation streaked towards Team Wolf. Without hesitation he shot towards the lightly-panting and smoking Nazo, a spark of anger growing in his gut. While the rational part of Jackal's mind knew Hyena's barriers could either neutralise the mist cloud or shield the entire team, he was furious. It was one thing to attack him, but to attack his team was unforgivable. Attacking his family was a sin punishable by death and total annihilation.

"That was a stupid move, Nazo."

"Really? I beg to differ. You've been holding out on me ever since this duel began."

Pushing chakra to his legs, Jackal bounded forward at full speed, dual swords in hand. Genjutsu and ninjutsu were out of the list. The fastest way to take Nazo down would be close combat. His blades were relentless, forcing Nazo back at a rapid pace as they stabbed and sliced. He could see perspiration rolling down the other's brow, satisfaction rising at every nick and cut that drew blood. Snakes shot towards him at random intervals, but he did not spare them a second glance, cutting them down swiftly as he pursued. The moment Nazo tried to apparate away once more, Jackal vivaciously drove both wakizashi into each foot. The roar that emerged was music to his ears. Conjuring another blade he ran his hated foe through the chest, pushing all the way until the hilt came into contact with the tattered robe. Nazo choked, blood bubbling forth as he gasped in pain.

Lifting a hand to his mask, Jackal moved it to the side.

 ** _"..haha – hahaha…vicious little – cough – 'ittle thing you've…become…what would they say…if - cough – if they could see you now…"_**

Jackal barked a harsh laugh.

 ** _"They wouldn't say a single thing,_** **Tom** ** _. A few hundred lifetimes can change someone beyond measure. But this isn't about me. You have foolishly thrown away your second chance at life. And I, for one, plan to remove you from the cycle._** **Permanently."**

Jackal grabbed the bloodstained cloth in a deceptively gentle grip. The three wakizashi buried in Nazo burst into flames. In a matter of seconds the writhing body dissolved into ashes, floating slowly to the ground.

 ** _"Ah, another summoner is dead."_** Jackal replaced his mask, staring blankly at the white snake that appeared before him. **_'Speaker-sama, since you – "_**

A gloved hand shot out and finger tightened around the snake's throat.

 ** _"You have another soul residing in you, snake. Nazo placed it there."_**

Unable to speak, Zurui bobbed his head in affirmative.

"Hn."

Jackal did not release the snake. Instead, a word that have not passed his lips for a long time was uttered.

 _"Fiendfyre."_

 _... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

Yes, I realise I did not tie up all loose ends like 'what happened to the Mamushi organisation', 'what reaction will everyone have when they found out Orochimaru really was doing illegal stuff under their nose',etc. However, I plan to be evil and say "use your imagination" because I like the way this ended and I'm not going to spoil it with a sequel or anything like that.

On another note, if you have any prompts that involve the KSD cast, feel free to put it in reviews or PM. I'll make a list and write them up whenever I get stuck on the main story...like now...

Later!

Kagetsuki-taicho


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